Alison Bagley

One of the toughest long-distance extreme obstacle races ‘The Suffering’ returns to Rockingham Castle near Corby for the second year running.

The race is being hosted in the castle’s Great Park, including the extremely steep inclines of Rockingham Hill.

But team members will not get much opportunity to enjoy the views across the Welland Valley as they endure the undulating course blocked by obstacles including The Spiders Web, The Mud Crawl, The Hollow and The Great Wall.

The 5km and 10km races are being run on Saturday, March 7, with another longer 10-mile race on Sunday, March 8.

Those who are gluttons for punishment can do all three races, adding up to a brutally gruelling 40km, earning the successful participants ‘Suffering Legend’ status.

Alongside the challenges of monkey bars, walls, muddy swamps, cargo nets and a water crawl, the participants will be helped on their way by members of The Reaper Squad, whose job is to inflict more pain and misery on the runners as they battle along the tracks.

There is no reason for people not to suffer with us this year

Markus Boyall

All of Rockingham’s contours and natural barriers are being exploited to deliver an unpleasant trek including banks of nettles and fields of mud.

Markus Boyall, co-founder of The Suffering Race, said: “This year is going to be huge for us.

“Rockingham Castle will offer some of the most unique and challenging obstacle races available and the range of options means that regardless of ability, there is no reason for people not to suffer with us this year. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous and very brave, perhaps you even have what it takes to become a Suffering Legend.”

The weekend-long events will see The Suffering continue to go from strength-to-strength with total visitor numbers from across 2015 set to exceed 10,000.

Entrants must be over 15 years old to take part, but those under 18 must run with an adult